Fluidized bed floating baffle



Patented Aug. 24, 1954 'McIntirc, =Bartlesvil le, -'0kla., -as'signors lto iPhillips Petroleum Company,Lascorporationc of iDelaware ApplicationDecember 19, 1949fSerial N0."133,`835

v''This-inventionrelatesto al method and apparatus 'l for contro-lling 1asoi-calleduidized"bed 0D- 'eration'f"as practiced, for' example, in the `catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons. `In--one of `its aspects, this invention relates to a1methodl and `apparatus which permits 'a control of the "socalled interface orsurface ofaifluidizedbed of particulate-solid material to minimize entrain- Inient'.or-lossirom saiclbed into the-less dense or Hight-phase above the bed and, ultimately,

vvfrom-"the apparatus. In one ofits embodiments, 'the inventioneprovides `a methodwhichemploys Aa'louoyantl float'or'pontoon which `floats on" the uidizedbed-of particles, for example, hydro- -gcarbon conversion catalyst particles,v as `is vmore fullydescribed-below.

't has beenV found,-according to this invention,l

that-itI is possible to Aactually suspendv orl float in a r`bed ofuidized' solid' particles asuitably constructed -buoyantwobject for example, afloat or pontoon. rFurtherit-has been foundthat more than one r lioat uon `'pontoon can be employed, preferably connected together by'means of-rods Yor'equivalent"means, it `4has beenfound that the mere presence -of' a buoyanty object in the 'fluidizedbed of 'solid'particles will'tend to .prevententrainmentand loss of" solid particles from-said' bed. Also; theifloat or pontoon, Vorconnected oats" or pontoons, can "be equipped with suitable baies"to"further vassistin dening the iso-:called interfacemwhich vcanbe said'to exist betweenthe'light and-dense phaseof theuidlized-particles, as more fullydescribed-below.

"Fluidized solidv particle beds are-"employed, as lstated-in various arts, for example in' the catavlytic conversion arts, illustrative ofk Which is the conversion' of yhydrocarbons or ll1ydrocarbon'oi1s. In Vsuch conversions, the iluidizedcata-lyst is sought-to loe-'maintained in a dense phase'iin a reactor. The so-called interfacef Which'lis-the area 'of transition-from the dense to the light phase ofluidized particles,is usually maintained somewhat below the outletof thereactor so that thel loss or. entrainment rfrom the bed and from the .reactor of particleswhich 'are in'violent motion thereinis minimized. It has been found that .theemploymentof a Viloataccording to this invention permitsfgreater'latitude in the depth -of.bed.of .denseyphaseparticlesmwhich. can be maintained;in. any given reactor. Specifically, theimethodzvof .this invention, employing: the Vapparatus of this invention, permits Operation of a: hghfadens e: phase. level of particles, :Without increase of thexzquantityoof particles entrained or otherwise; .lostz: from .;the;r reactorpaslin .theiprior :H2 art. It --has alsoI .been4 found that suohzaf float .as *describedtherein-fcanbe'remployedi togindicate the quant-ity of catalyst or "other uidized p-articles in aL uidized bedtin a .manner "described herein- `below.

"An object lonthis invention isrto provide :a methodl and apparatus for controlling the; movtion, v`orre'ducingJA the turbulence` at the" surface, of a `beol otlluiolized particles within'a bed of said #particles #disposed in a* reaction Yor other "zone, Another'obj ect ofthis .invention is' .to provide a mechanical means whichgcoacts with a'v'iluidized `bed ofparticles to control the quantity of'entrainment or loss from-'the` interfacebetweeny theclense and light "phases :of: sai'djparticles. .A still'fvur ther object ofIV the inventionv is to; provide a method and apparatus. whichm will` indicatethe quantityof particulate material in a, vfluidized bed vof such material.

"Further'objects as well. asia'dvantagesof this invention'aye apparentY from a vstudy of'this disclosure, the drawingan'd theclaims.

Thus according to this invention; there are provided a method and vapparatus for, exertinga control upon'theinterface:.between `the-*dense and Vlight vphases ofv a` iluidized` bed' of` particlesv which 'comprisesbuoying lorloating anobject of size `considerably greater. than the size of'said particles insaid` bed of said"particles. The. object-Which can be floated suitably'comprises a float orslloats connected together andpreferably equipped with battles. Further, `vaccording f to this invention, there .are vprovided :a method `and lapparatusfor indicating the.quantity,ior change in quantity, of particulate material in. a lilui'dized bed;.of such material which comprises floatinganobjectfas aforesaid, insaidbed; said object being equipped with a level indicatingmeans.

'To more fullydescribe"theinvention there are illustratedl inthe several figures of thedrawing several types of floats Aaccording to this invention. Obviously, other equivalent mechanical arrangements will be-obvioustothose skilled 'in'the art upon a perusalof this' specication, the drawing `and the-claims. `1Infthe'dra-wing,Figurel is a verticaly profile,I partly `incrosssection, ofva vessel adaptedl to contain a luidized bed ofparticulate material :and .a oat, equipped :with llames, :according to thissnvention. .Figure 2.is.afcross section oi -Figurejl taken horizontally at ,a'..point above? the: floatpand baffles;v namelyat plane. 2 2. FigureiSl is; a: vertical-across.. section showing;a -float ,andabaffles of ...acconstruction differenti fromt that shownfn Figures-hand; 2,-;andzaalso5shows, 'guide rodsnadaptedzto;guideiandztoolimit.themovernent of said float. Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure 3 taken horizontally along plane 4 4. Figure 5 is a vertical cross section of a construction dierent from that of the baffles shown in the preceding iigures. Figure 6 illustrates one method of reducing the effective weight of a float, according to this invention, thus, in effect, increasing its buoyancy. Finally, Figure 7 is a vertical cross sectional View of a oat equipped to indicate the level and quantity of iluidized particulate material Within a vessel.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown the lower portion of a vessel or reactor 2, in which is maintained a uidized bed of particulate material, for example a hydrocarbon conversion catalyst. A mixture of fluidized catalyst and hydrocarbon vapor is fed into vessel 2 through conduit 3 and perforated ring 4. Catalyst is withdrawn from the vessel through conduit 5. Converted hydrocarbon vapor is taken oi overhead through a conduit, not shown. Owing to the turbulence at the interface of the catalyst some catalyst particles will be carried out from the vessel by the hydrocarbon vapors which are being withdrawn overhead. It has been the practice in the art to recover entrained catalyst by means of cyclone separators or precipitators and by other methods or means. The reintroduction of the catalyst entrained overhead and recovered as stated poses problems with which those skilled in the art are familiar. According to this invention, as stated, there is provided a float or pontoon 6, preferably equipped with bailles or baffle structure 1, which is shown in Figure l.

Float 'I is composed of a grid made of plates disposed substantially on end and joined together at right angles to each other thereby forming vertical slots or channels 8 through which ascending catalyst particles must pass. In passing through channels 8 the turbulence of any entrained particles will be substantially reduced, resulting in the dropping back or precipitation of said particles from the upwardly moving hydrocarbon vapor.

In Figure 3, floats 9, joined together by rods I0, are equipped with baffles II, which in this case are in the shape of a rustum of a cone and are placed one within the other, in the same plane, thereby forming annular channels I2, through which ascending particulate material must pass. Also shown in Figure 3 are guide rods i3 equipped with abutting members I4. Guide rods I3 guide and limit the motion of the float and are so placed as to ensure that the float will operate substantially at or sufficiently near the desired interface level of particulate material within vessel 2. Figure Ll, as Stated, is a cross sectional View of Figure 3 taken along plane 4 4. Figure 5 illustrates a pyramiding of annular bailles I5, upon iloat I6, which are of progressively diminishing diameter and which, as shown, have a triangular cross section. In Figure 6, float il is counterbalanced by means of pulley I8, Wire I9 and weight 20. This modification of the nvention is of particular advantage when the dense phase of the particulate material is unusually light, say, 2O to 30 pounds per cubic foot. Preferably, the ccunterbalancing weights should be arranged to remain above the interface at all times to avoid disturbance of the iluidized bed.

Figure 7 shows a float 2I which may be constructed like any of the other floats shown in the drawing, or in manenr equivalent thereto. A capsule of radioactive material 22 is mounted upon the float, in convenient manner, and detector 23 is stationed outside vessel 2, thus providing a means, according to the invention, for indicating the interface level by indicating the position of the oat. In present practice, difierential pressure taps are employed to determine the position or the level of the interface between the dense and light' phases of particulate material, thus to determine whether or not additional material should be added to replace that lost by entrainment in the gas or vapor leaving the vessel.

Reasonable variation and modication are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, drawing and claims to the invention the essence f of which is that a suitable object buoyed or iloated in or on a iluidized bed of particles can be employed to control the motion of said particles and/or to prevent entrainment or loss from the dense phase of the said particles to the light phase of said particles and, therefore, from the apparatus substantially as described, and also that means may be placed upon said float for indicating at a point without the bed the position or level of the interface thereof.

We claim:

l. An apparatus for controlling entrainment of `solid particles in a bed of solid particles maintained in a luidized state in an upright substantially cylindrical vessel by the flow of vapors therethrough which comprises: a first hollow tubular ring whose outside diameter is less than the inside diameter of the vessel containing said bed of solid particles, and disposed within said vessel; a second tubular ring whose outside diameter is less than the inside diameter of said iirst tubular ring, said second ring being disposed concentrically within said first ring, and a baffle member supported upon and secured to said tubular rings, said baffle member comprising a grid made of plates disposed substantially on edge and joined together at right angles to each other thereby forming channels through which ascending solid particles must pass.

2. An apparatus for controlling entrainment of solid particles in a bed of solid particles maintained in a luidized state in a Vessel by the ow of vapors therethrough which comprises a plurality of hermetically sealed, hollow, cylindrical bodies `joined together in a horizontal plane at about the axial center of the vessel containing said fluidized bed of particles; baffle members supported upon and secured to said cylindrical bodies, said baffle members comprising hollow, frusto-conical sections placed inside each other so as to form channels through which ascending solid particles must pass; and guide members secured to the sides of said vessel and slidably connected to Said cylindrical bodies so that said cylindrical bodies and baiiles are free to move upwardly and downwardly.

3. In apparatus for controlling entrainment of solid particles in a bed of solid particles maintained in a uidized state in an upright substantially cylindrical vessel by the flow of vapors therethrough, the improvement which comprises float means disposed within said Vessel; and baille means supported upon and secured to said iloat and comprising a grid comprising a multiplicity of wholly connned channels through which ascending solid particles from below said float must pass, said grid being made of plates disposed substantially on edge and joined together to form said channels.

4. In apparatus for controlling entrainment of solid particles in a bed of solid particles maintained in a fluidized state in a vessel by the flow pontoon member so as to form wholly conned 5 channels between said members through which ascending particles from below said ypontoon member must pass.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Wulan Aug. 9, 1892 Number o Number Name Date Warner June 27, 1911 Crull et a1. Oct. 29, 1912 Pontoppidan Feb. 8, 1927 Tyson Sept. 9, 1947 Creelman Dec. 7, 1948 Wolf Dec. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1905 

4. IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ENTRAINMENT OF SOLID PARTICLES IN A BED OF SOLID PARTICLES MAINTAINED IN A FLUIDIZED STATE IN A VESSEL BY THE FLOW OF VAPORS THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE BUOYANT PONTOON MEMBER; AND A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY EXTENDING BAFFLE MEMBERS SUPPORTED UPON AND SECURED TO SAID BUOYANT PONTOON MEMBER SO AS TO FORM WHOLLY CONFINED CHANNELS BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS THROUGH WHICH ASCENDING PARTICLES FROM BELOW SAID PONTOON MEMBER MUST PASS. 